Supporting Students Research Articles

Teachers as first responders in marginalized, urban communities: Stress and coping during unprecedented times for public education

The present study examines workplace priorities, challenges, and experiences of burnout and coping among teachers in marginalized urban communities, where structural barriers elevate job demands and minimize job resources. Specifically, we amplify the voices of public elementary school teachers in an urban hub of Florida during a time of unprecedented stressors (COVID-19, staff shortages, racial injustice, school shootings) to identify possible avenues of support. Participants (N = 12) were teachers in grades 3 through 5 from one large urban district; six participants served predominately Black or African American students, and six participants served predominately Hispanic students. All teachers self-identified as female and from a racially and/or ethnically minoritized background themselves. Semi-structured interviews (conducted remotely by the first author) were organized around five questions. Qualitative content analysis highlighted two core priorities (support students holistically and address interconnecting social emotional skills and academic success) and two core challenges (mismatch between administration expectations/supports and teacher needs/values, and difficulty managing student behavior). Teachers attributed the ubiquitous experience of burnout to factors at levels of work (e.g., responding to student stressors and traumas on top of curriculum demands), organization (e.g., poor compensation, excessive work demands), and society (e.g., school shootings, COVID-19), and they offered concrete recommendations for improving their work conditions. Altogether findings inspire opportunities to reevaluate supports for teachers serving as first responders for youth in marginalized urban communities.

Learning to Support Students to Reason Through Talk: How Pedagogically (Dis)Content Teaching Assistants Use a Curriculum Guide Integrated With Professional Development

ABSTRACTGiven the potential impact of introductory science laboratories on postsecondary students' science learning, careful thinking is needed about how to support teaching assistants (TAs) to create opportunities for their students to reason about science. Research suggests that teachers are best positioned to improve their teaching practices when they recognize aspects of pedagogical discontentment and also feel they have the appropriate tools and resources to achieve their teaching goals in the future. This comparative case study examines how TAs who are pedagogically discontent or pedagogically content with their practice of supporting students to reason through talk engaged with a curriculum guide integrated with a weekly professional development (PD) program to grow their teaching practice. We found that only the pedagogically discontent TAs developed their use of ambitious talk moves to support more rigorous discussions over one semester. However, we also found that all TAs used the curriculum guide to plan opportunities for students to reason through talk. This research contributes new understandings about the role of pedagogical discontentment for TA learning of student‐centered teaching practices. This research also has implications for designing TA‐facing curriculum guides integrated with a weekly PD cycle to support TAs to develop teaching practices that support students to reason through talk.

Teachers’ Use of Rational Questioning to Support Students’ Collective Argumentation Through 5E-Based Flipped Classroom Approach Using GeoGebra

Teachers’ Use of Rational Questioning to Support Students’ Collective Argumentation Through 5E-Based Flipped Classroom Approach Using GeoGebra

Toward a “budding” individual interest: evidence for a fifth phase of development in four years of an automated greenhouse project

ABSTRACT Background and Context We report on four years of a design-based research project with all grade-eight students in two urban-ring schools of the Northeast US. Youth built automated tabletop “smart” greenhouses. Objective We addressed the research questions, (1) In what ways did four iterations of the smart-greenhouse project support students’ inflections of interest in STEM+C? and (2) How, if at all, did rightful presence foster development of interest? Method This mixed-methods study for convergence includes paired-sample t-tests of means for surveys (N = 599) and descriptive, in vivo, and inductive team-coding for interviews (25 focal students). Findings We found evidence to extend Hidi and Renninger’s four-phase model of interest development, with a phase we call “budding individual interest”, including five tensions thereof. Implications We share educational design considerations related to curriculum, instruction, and follow-up activities, and we explore the potential role of regular access, personal significance, and contextual expectations in students.

Empowering Student Transition and Engaging Students Using Actionbound: A Gamified Collaborative Community Learning Platform

Transition to University is a significant milestone for students who are embracing new experiences and challenges. It is particularly vital for international students who have to adapt to a new and different learning environment in the UK. Successful transition and sense of belonging in a new institution lay foundation for students’ academic success. However, transition is a process rather than an event. Accordingly, fostering a collaborative community learning environment and facilitate peer networks and community support becomes critical. It enables social interactions and active learning by engaging students in collaborative group activities, which would in turn support students’ transition to and belonging in a new learning environment. With the advancement of technology, computer-assisted and computer-supported collaborative learning flourished in 21st century. The emergence of mobile digital technology leads to the design of gamification in learning, known as game-based learning or gamified collaborative community learning in order to engage students in fun and interactive activities. ‘Actionbound’ is one of the versatile gamification platforms and mobile apps which can engage students in collaborative community learning with gamified activities. It enables users to create, share and participate in interactive scavenger hunts, tours, games and quizzes. It allows users to design custom challenges, incorporate multimedia content and track players’ progress in real-time. It engages participants to work collaboratively to solve challenges and complete tasks. At UHBS, we have used Actionbound to support the student transition into the University’ learning journey at the start of term. We used scavenger hunt game and quiz functions within Actionbound to direct students to collaborate in teams to solve the challenges and tasks. In this action research, students found Actionbound fun and loved the competitive nature with points and leaderboards. It helped them build network and form friendship. Together, they solved puzzles and tackled challenges which supported their transition and got them prepared for learning in a new environment. Moving forward, as an ongoing action research, we would like to extend the use of Actionbound to term time and in module delivery so to track students’ engagement with the collaborative learning platform and investigate the impact on their academic performance.

Twelve Tips for Engaging Medical Students in Rural-Focused Research

Background The future of rural healthcare depends on training the future rural health workforce, and on rural health research that can guide clinical and policy decisions in rural spaces. Promotion of rural healthcare careers usually focuses on clinical aspects of care, and research may be seen as a lower priority. Supporting students to be involved in rural focused research offers the opportunity to broaden the pool of potentially rural interested students, and to develop research and scholarship skills and capacity in the future rural workforce. Aim and method We identify twelve tips that medical schools can adopt to foster medical student participation in research and promote student interest in rural healthcare and rural medical practice. These recommendations are based on a review of literature and our personal experience of conducting rural-focused research activities with medical students. Conclusion Through these twelve tips, we provide a practical framework for enhancing undergraduate medical student exposure to rural-focused research to foster research capacity. This has potential to inspire student interest in future rural medical practice and could contribute to alleviate workforce and research gaps in rural areas.

Can creative writing in Latin support students' confidence in and enjoyment of A Level prose composition?

Abstract This research aims to explore the ways in which creative writing may be used as a pedagogical tool in the Latin language classroom, in particular how creative writing may benefit students in Latin prose composition. The lesson sequence delivered as part of this research was undertaken in an academically-selective, independent coeducational school in an affluent, inner-metropolitan area. The sequence of four 60-minute lessons formed part of the language (as opposed to literature) portion of timetabled Latin lessons for a group of nine Year 12 students (aged 16–17). As part of their language lessons, the students had been following a course of study in prose composition based upon Andrew Leigh's (2019) Latin Prose Composition: A Guide from GCSE to A Level and Beyond1. The lesson sequence was intended to build on this work by making use of, and thus consolidating, grammatical constructions and vocabulary which the students had already encountered in the context of prose composition. The sequence was designed in such a way that students were required to apply their linguistic knowledge in new and creative ways. Students' responses to the various activities were positive and they expressed enjoyment in the methodologies.

Investigating quality service and student satisfaction: evidence from College of Business & Economics, University of Gondar, Ethiopia

Providing quality service is the major concern of many public organizations. However, the way to provide immediate service (responsiveness), the capacity to deliver on promises of accurate and consistent service (reliability), the degree of trust and confidence of students in the service provided by the college (assurance), the physical appearances of the service that the college offers (tangibility) and understanding the needs of students in the college are not as such potential. Thus, the study aims to investigate the effect of a quality service system on student satisfaction in Business and Economics College, University of Gondar. An explanatory research design with a quantitative research approach was employed to address the specified objectives. The population of the study was 6323 and out of these, 376 samples were drawn through stratified random sampling technique. Of 376 self-administer questionnaires, 263 were valuable for this analysis. One of the objectives of the study was to understand the dominant service quality dimension. The finding of the mean score of SERVQUAL dimensions portrays that students are less satisfied with dimension responsiveness (M = 2.31), which implies that the way students get an immediate response for their need showed very low followed by dimension empathy (M = 2.63) i.e., the willingness of staff to support or help students, spontaneous care and concern of staff to student’s needs, is lower, whereas with tangibles, assurance, and reliability are better. The PLS-SEM analysis result confirmed that tangibility and assurance has a significant effect but other service quality dimensions are not.

Two Belonging-Based Interventions and Faculty-Staff Collaborations Support Student Outcomes and Sense of Belonging in First-Year STEM Course

Two Belonging-Based Interventions and Faculty-Staff Collaborations Support Student Outcomes and Sense of Belonging in First-Year STEM Course

Digital CRM in Nagpur's Primary and Secondary Schools: A Health Systems Approach to Enhancing Student Wellbeing in the Digital Transformation Era

Over the last couple of years, a significant increase in the use of educational technologies has changed the ways of student relationships and students’ well-being management. This study aims at establishing the extent and nature of utilization of Digital CRM system in primary and secondary schools in Nagpur from a health systems perspective, and the effects on students health. The research explores the effectiveness of the adopted digital CRM platforms to enhance more friendly, effective communication, and to create supportive mental and physical health student centred programs. The study utilizes survey questionnaires and short interviews with school administrators, teachers and students to determine the extent in which the digital CRM systems are effective and the difficulties encountered in the learning environment. Other relevant areas of interest include improvement in the services available to students, parents and strengthening of efficient mechanisms of collecting student health data for policy formulation. The details will describe the implication of the future digital CRM tools on the present issues related to the Nagpur students’ needs and the implications of health systems integration among schools. Based on this study it is suggested that digital CRM can greatly enhance the capacity of the school to support and respond to students’ needs through timely interventions, accessible collaboration communication, and a positive school climate. However, the program maintains several difficulties which have the potential to hinder valuable implementation: Data protection issue; Training of the system for the stakeholders; and Resource issues. Based on integrating the concepts of digital CRM with health systems the following recommendations for development of student’s wellbeing in the conceptual normal of digital transformation have been formulated by this research for the policymakers, educators, and technology suppliers.

Predicting student burnout in blended environments: a complementary PLS-SEM and machine learning approach

ABSTRACT Despite student burnout has attracted the attention of researchers and practitioners in education and psychology, little is known about the factors that contribute to it in blended contexts. This research aims to formulate and verify a predictive model elucidating how social support and self-regulated learning predict student burnout within blended learning contexts. Utilizing data collected from a sample of 303 students, a complementary method that combines partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with machine learning (ML) algorithms was implemented. The favorable impact of perceived social support and self-regulated learning in mitigating burnout was demonstrated by the PLS results. Additionally, it was discovered that self-regulated learning fully mediates the correlation between offline social support students received and learning burnout. Furthermore, the employed ML algorithms achieved a prediction accuracy rate exceeding 70% in the majority of cases. Employing a complementary analytical method is believed to offer a substantial contribution to the current body of research on learning burnout generally and blended learning in particular.

Psychosocial Factors and Quality of Life of Portuguese Adolescents With Chronic Conditions - Increased Risk for Victims of Bullying.

The experience of living with a chronic condition (CC) impacts adolescents' psychological and social adjustment and overall functioning. Considering the increased risk of psychosocial challenges among adolescents with CC, this study aimed to enhance our understanding of the psychological and social factors that impact their quality of life. It also compared the psychological and social variables among (a) adolescents with and without CC and (b) adolescents with CC who are and who are not victims of bullying. The results demonstrated that adolescents with CC showed more psychosocial difficulties than their peers, as they more frequently reported involvement in situations of violence, and demonstrated more difficulties at a psychological and emotional level. Further, being victims of bullying increased the psychosocial vulnerabilities of these adolescents. A better quality of life was associated with the following psychosocial factors: not being a victim of bullying or cyberbullying, having less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms, liking school, receiving more support from family and friends, having better relationships with peers, and having fewer physical and psychological symptoms. These findings are significant for helping schools develop tools and strategies to address violence and support students with CC, who are at a higher risk of being involved in such situations and require a targeted response.

The Innovation of Arabic Teaching Material Development in the Digital Era at Al-Fityan School Gowa IT High School

In facing the ever-evolving digital era, the development of Arabic teaching materials at Al-Fityan School Gowa IT High School requires innovations that are able to meet the needs of modern and effective learning. This article discusses various innovations applied in the development of Arabic teaching materials, ranging from the integration of multimedia technology to the utilization of interactive e-learning platforms. The main purpose of these innovations is to improve learning effectiveness, expand accessibility, and support students' various learning styles. Using qualitative research method through case study design, this article analyzes the implementation of digital technology in Arabic teaching materials at Al-Fityan School Gowa IT High School. Data were obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed with three stages of Miles and Huberman's qualitative data analysis technique: data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. The results showed that the use of mobile applications, learning videos and other digital aids significantly increased students' interest and understanding of Arabic. The article also identifies challenges faced, including limited infrastructure and teacher readiness. Recommendations are given for the continued development of adaptive and inclusive digital teaching materials, in order to create a more dynamic and effective Arabic learning experience in this digital era.

If Not Us, Then Who: Supporting Black Graduate Students

Empirical studies about Black graduate students have emphasized their experiences with oppression and marginalization, related psychological impacts, and the survival practices they enable them to persist within Historically White Institutions (HWIs). Yet, some literature falls short of examining how individuals thrive despite racial trauma experienced professionally and personally. Moreover, there is a need for research to explore the role Black faculty play in assisting Black graduate students with addressing racial trauma and engaging in healing practices. Thus, this paper aimed to understand how early-career Black faculty supported Black graduate students in their attempt to do more than thrive while pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education.

Learning Analytics Dashboard Design and Evaluation to Support Student Self-Regulation of Study Behaviour

For university students, self-regulation of study behaviour is important. However, students are not always capable of effective self-regulation. Providing study behaviour information via a learning analytics dashboard (LAD) may support phases within self-regulated learning (SRL). However, it is unclear what information a LAD should provide, how to present information in a usable manner, and what the information’s perceived usefulness is in supporting self-regulation of study behaviour. This study entails a sequential mixed design: assessing information needs in focus groups (n=7), exploring usability via think-aloud interviews (n=8), assessing usability with the System Usability Scale (n=42), and assessing perceived usefulness via interviews (n=16). Results showed that students and tutors agreed on the relevance of the constructs chosen from literature but differed in ranking the importance of new constructs. Usability exploration led to several design improvements. Perceived usefulness assessment showed the LAD supported the appraisal of study behaviour. A need for reference frames to facilitate data interpretation was vocalized. Impacts on study behaviour varied, possibly because preparatory activities were not used. Impact could be improved by further integrating the LAD into existing learning processes.

Supporting bereaved students: Qualitative insights from Danish college student counselors

This article investigates bereavement support among Danish college students, focusing on the role of student counselors across seven colleges. Twenty-one counselors participated in semi-structured interviews, revealing challenges in identifying and supporting bereaved students while juggling academic priorities. They acknowledge their focus on academics, while often feeling they lack adequate training for broader emotional support. Key themes include counselor roles, identifying bereaved students, and balancing academic and emotional needs. Recommendations highlight the necessity of tailored counselor roles, specialized training in bereavement and communication, and establishing clear support structures. These findings underline a critical gap in college bereavement support and advocate for practical improvements. Enhancing counselor education and support structures could better address the needs of bereaved students, reflecting broader challenges faced by counselors and the importance of continuous education in effectively supporting them.

The use of the objective structured clinical examination to evaluate paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills in medical students and measures to improve training

BackgroundThe main objectives of the study were to analyse the use of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to evaluate the skills of medical students in paediatric basic life support (PBLS), to compare two resuscitation training models and to evaluate the measures to improve the teaching program.MethodsComparative, prospective, observation study with intervention in two hospitals, one undergoing a PILS course (Paediatric Immediate Life Support) and another PBLS. The study was performed over three phases. 1º. PBLS OSCE in 2022 three months after the resuscitation training 2. Measures to improve the training program in 2023 3. PBLS OSCE in 2023. Overall results were analysed and comparison between both sites and those for 2022 and 2023 were made.ResultsA total of 210 and 182 students took part in the OSCE in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The overall mean score out of 100 was 83.2 (19), 77.8 (19.8) in 2022 and 89.5 (15.9) and 2023, P < 0.001. Overall cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) effectiveness was adequate in 79.4% and 84.6% of students in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The results of hospital students undergoing a PILS course were better (86.4 (16.6) than those undergoing a PBLS. 80.2 (20.6) p < 0.001. The results from both hospitals improved significantly in 2023.ConclusionsThe OSCE is a valid instrument to evaluate PBLS skills in medical students and to compare different training methods and program improvements. Medical students who receive a PILS attain better PBLS skills than those who undergo a PBLS course.

Supporting Students with Disordered Eating: Surveying School Psychologists’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Current Practices

AbstractDisordered eating refers to a range of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not warrant a diagnosis of a specific eating disorder. It includes behaviors, such as binge eating, restriction, and purging. Youth with disordered eating often have complex needs and may require psychological support, medical care, and academic accommodations to be successful at school. However, school psychologists are seldom involved in this work. The knowledge and beliefs of school psychologists may impact their professional practice. In this study, 100 school psychologists across K-12 public schools nationwide were surveyed regarding their knowledge, beliefs, and current practices concerning students with disordered eating. Although most school psychologists demonstrated general knowledge of disordered eating, they rated their knowledge of practices to support affected students—such as prevention and intervention strategies—as fairly low. That is, mean scores ranged from 1.56–2.38 on a 4-point scale, which corresponds roughly to “somewhat disagreeing” that they possessed this knowledge. Their comfort levels in implementing these supports were also limited, averaging between 1.94 (somewhat disagree) and 3.54 (between somewhat and strongly agree). In addition, school psychologists’ specific role preferences are not aligned with their actual responsibilities in practice. Finally, study findings underscore a lack of overall support for students with or at-risk for disordered eating in public schools. Future research should address the knowledge gaps of school psychologists, explore feasible school-based supports, and identify barriers preventing them from providing necessary interventions. Schools may consider offering professional development opportunities and establishing clear protocols to better support these students.

Training Needs for School Staff Supporting Students Returning to School After a Psychiatric Hospitalization

AbstractSupporting students returning to school after a mental health crisis often involves more training than many school staff members receive. With the increase in youth mental health diagnoses, there has also been an increase in the number of youth requiring psychiatric emergency department visits and hospitalizations. As such, this study employed a basic qualitative design to gather the perspectives of school staff who support students’ mental health about their experiences and training needs related to supporting youth returning to school after psychiatric hospitalization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 school mental health professionals or administrators. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Three themes were identified: (1) most participants received minimal formal training in graduate school on hospital-to-school transition, (2) most participants learned about hospital-to-school transition on the job, and (3) participants made recommendations and identified specific training needs. Implications for training are discussed including a need for variety (e.g., some practitioners need basic training while others need more advanced training) and different format preferences (in-person may be preferred but online asynchronous is more convenient).

The Dissertation ECoach: Supporting graduate students as they transition to dissertation writing

Transitioning from coursework to dissertation writing presents unique challenges for graduate students. To support students in this phase of their careers, we created the Dissertation ECoach, a digital tool that provides automated and personalized support and guidance to address individual challenges and promote effective writing habits. By engaging with the Dissertation ECoach, students receive weekly surveys and tailored messages that encourage their writing process. This article discusses the development history, functionality, and methods of the Dissertation ECoach, as well as the results of its implementation at the University of Michigan for the period 2020–2023. Data show that a high percentage of students find the Dissertation ECoach experience helpful, to the point that a subset of students decide to enroll in the experience repeatedly. The article concludes by highlighting the potential of the Dissertation ECoach to be adopted by other universities, offering automated, customized support for graduate students across disciplines. The article also introduces updates that have been implemented in 2023/2024.